Aguayo Hr Wins For Phis In 13th

May 05, 1985|by TED MEIXELL, Sunday Call-Chronicle

The Phillies just may have found themselves a power hitting third baseman last night--even if they weren't looking too hard.

Little Luis Aguayo, one of twoPhils who got the chance to play one-out, two-run home run off Houston reliever Bill Dawley in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Phils a 7-5 victory that seemed to be in their hip pockets an hour and 21 minutes earlier.

Aguayo was in the lineup because Mike Schmidt pulled a hamstring muscle Friday night. His 13th-inning blast was his fourth hit and second round tripper of the game. He clubbed a solo shot to almost the same spot - in the Astro bullpen - in the sixth.

"Schmitty said something to me last night, that he might not be able to play," he said later, "so I came (to the ballpark) early to be sure and be ready."

Moments before his winning homer, Dawley had sent him sprawling away from a high, tight fastball. "Usually you get pumped up to get a big swing after that happens," he said. "But with a guy like that the big thing is to stay back with your hands. He gave me another fastball and, yes, I knew it was out. Yes, I've had days like that before, a couple times in winter ball."

Aguayo's career has been that of a utility player, and it's not the easiest in the business. "You have to be ready every day," he said, "just to be able to stay around. Every day you've just got to come to the park thinking like you're going to start."

"Luis is amazing," manager John Felske said. "He never says anything, never complains - just shows up, works his butt off and stays ready to play."

The other unlikely hero was lefthanded relief pitcher Dave Rucker, who wasn't even a Phillie until yesterday, after starter Jerry Koosman was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed knee. Recalled from Portland, where he'd been since being obtained from St. Louis in the Ivan DeJesus deal, he arrived in town at 6:10 p.m - and about 3 1/2 hours later, in the top of the 12th, he was tossed right into the fire.

Rucker responded with two perfect innings, striking out two and throwing with far greater velocity than the left-handed starter the Phils had sent out the night before.

"He did a great job," Felske said, "especially when you consider he'd pitched three straight days for Portland and had the long plane trip in here earlier in the day."

Actually, as far as the 25,521 fans on hand and a disgruntled press corps were concerned, the game should've been over much earlier - like at precisely 8:58.

In view of the fact that he'd already been touched for nine hits, it'd be stretching the point a bit to say that Phil starter John Denny was breezing into the ninth inning with a 5-2 lead. Nevertheless, he HAD settled down quite nicely after allowing two early runs. And in addition to having struck out five, he hadn't walked a soul.

When he blew a called third strike past Phil Garner for the first out, the game was only 1:52 old - and press box types were pointing at the clock, noting that there was a good chance the game would be over before nine o' clock. Heck, even when Alan Ashby stroked a single to right, no one was overly concerned.

But that's when the roof fell in. Craig Reynolds lashed a sharp grounder wide of third, but Aguayo snagged the ball and heaved it toward second base and what he hoped would be the start of a game-ending double play.

Unfortunately, Juan Samuel dropped the ball. That enabled Astro manager Bob Lillis to send Harry Spilman, who was batting a lusty .071 at the time, up to pinch hit for reliever Ron Mathis.

Denny put him into a 1-2 hole. But his next offering was obviously much to Spilman's liking - and he swatted it on a majestic arc deep into the 300 level seats in right field to tie the game and turn it from a quickie into a marathon.

"We kinda gave them the chance to come back," Felske said. "Once again, it seems like every time we make a mistake it hurts us."

In view of the fact that the Phils eventually won - thanks to Little Looie - that comment has to be viewed as relative.

The Astros scored single runs in the second and fourth to assume a 2-0 lead. Singles by Jose Cruz, Jerry Mumphrey and Phil Garner accounted for the former and Cruz scored the latter by doubling to right, moving to third on an infield out and scoring on Garner's single to deep short.

The Phils erased the deficit and went ahead by a pair with four in the bottom of the fourth. Von Hayes stroked the first of his two doubles, Glenn Wilson walked and they each moved up a base on a wild pitch by Houston starter Mike Scott. Tim Corcoran strafed a line single to right to score Hayes, but he hit the ball so hard Wilson had to hold at third.

Virgil rendered that irrelevant and put in a strong early bid to be the hero with a first-pitch, 400-foot plus home run up the power alley in left center. Ozzie, who singled and scored ahead of Aguayo in the 13th, finished with three hits.

When Aguayo slammed his first homer in the sixth, everything seemed to be just hunky dory. But, with an assist from the unfortunate Samuel, Spilman spoiled everyone's plans for an early getaway.